


maybe come September

by Lake (beyond_belief)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Animal!Louis Fest, Gen, Platonic Cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 16:55:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16836697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyond_belief/pseuds/Lake
Summary: Louis is a shark, sometimes.





	maybe come September

"This makes no bloody sense," Liam says, looking down into the bathtub. Or at least Louis thinks he's looking down into the tub; there's a shadow above him, but it could be the curtain, or could be Zayn. And when he's a shark, Louis' eyes don't work quite the same way. So he's guessing. But he knows it's Liam's voice.

_Of course it makes no bloody sense_ , he would say, if he could speak right now. Instead he glides back and forth. He's not a large shark, when he's a shark, so he fits in the hotel tubs. 

"I looked it up," Zayn says. "'s definitely some sort of shark."

Liam sticks a finger in the water, but Louis ignores it in favor of his slow laps. "Awful little for a shark," Liam says dubiously.

_'course I'm a shark_ , Louis thinks. 

"He said he was having a bath, but when does Louis have a bath? Then he wouldn't answer when I called, so I came in to check." Zayn sounds a bit scared, actually, and the part of Louis that still feels like a human when he's a shark feels a little bit bad. 

Liam's finger twitches, splashing. Louis swims just close enough that one of his fins barely brushes the tip of Liam's finger. He doesn't like being touched all that much when he's a shark, but he might need to reassure them that he's really Louis. "Awful little," Liam repeats, softer this time.

Louis bites him gently for that. He can't help that he's the sort of shark that doesn't get to be massive. They should be glad of that; this way he fits in bathtubs. It's not as though he's a shark that often. The feeling had just come over him tonight, smooth as a gentle wave, and he _could_ tonight, so he did.

"He nipped me," Liam says, sounding quite incredulous.

_'course I did_ , Louis thinks, and resumes his circles.

"D'you think he needs to eat, like, as a shark?" Zayn asks Liam.

With a shiver and a squelching noise, Louis turns back into his normal human form, sending Liam and Zayn both screaming back across the tiled floor, slipping in the water that sloshes over the edge of the tub and scrabbling for purchase. Neither one of them actually bangs into the sink, though. Their faces are hilarious, and Louis grins widely. "I don't need a snack when I'm a shark, because I can eat when I'm me."

"Holy - _fuck_ ," Liam gasps out. 

"Hand us a towel, lad," Louis says to Zayn, who gapes at him for a full three seconds before holding out one of the large plush towels. Louis clears his throat a few times. He always sounds so much scratchier than usual when he changes back, especially if he's been in the shark form for more than a few minutes.

Liam looks down at his unblemished finger, then back at Louis. He looks outraged, but falsely. "You bit me, you wanker."

"You didn't think I was me. And you called me small." Louis smirks at him, then wraps the towel around his waist and steps out of the tub. 

There's some banging on the suite door, and then it's flung open. Harry and Niall shove in, then stop, staring at Louis as he drips on the tile. Harry narrows his eyes. "That's no shark, that's just Louis. Quit fucking about, Zayn."

Zayn makes his best offended face. "Wasn't fucking about, he was really a shark."

"Not a very big one, though," Liam adds.

Louis bares his teeth. "I will bite you for real."

Niall waves both his hands. "Wait, wait. If normal-sized Louis turns into a shark that fits into the bath well enough to swim, where does the rest of Louis go?"

"Quit gossiping about me as though I'm not standing right here," Louis replies. 

"'s not gossip, mate, you really were a shark, and me and Liam saw it," Zayn says.

Louis is going to get a headache. He sits down on one of the beds. "I'm sorry I never said, about the shark thing. It's not an everyday sort of deal, I promise, lads. I don't really even know to explain the how and why and the like. And bamboo sharks are small sharks, _Liam_. Maybe that's what I can turn into because I was a little kid when I got cursed."

"As in... the supernatural?" Harry asks, his eyes wide.

"Why else would I sometimes turn into a shark if it wasn't the supernatural?"

Niall shakes his head. "You're having us on."

Louis stands up with a sigh. He drops the towel and stalks into the bathroom, stepping into the tub. There's still enough water. He kneels down, because it's less of a fall that way, and exhales. The slippery feeling glides over him, and he's swimming in circles again.

"I _told_ you," he hears Zayn say. 

"Quite a fancy-looking shark," he hears Niall say. Fingers dangle into the water, and Louis nips gently. Niall's. 

Another shadow leans over the tub - Harry by the voice. "D'you reckon he needs more water in there?"

Louis shudders back into human form, splashing water everywhere again, and croaking at Harry to fuck off before he can even clear his throat properly. Liam flings another bath towel at him, says "Quit using up all the towels, Tommo," and Louis thinks that overall, telling the lads he's sometimes a shark went quite well. 

The next hotel they're in, Harry knocks on Louis and Zayn's door and says, "Our suite has a huge tub, you should come swim in it."

Louis hadn't been planning on doing much besides smoking on the balcony with Zayn and drinking a few beers, and being a shark for a while has about the same effect. "Long as you don't mind me being in your bath for a few hours," he answers.

Harry half shrugs. His hair falls into his face again, and Louis pushes it back unthinkingly. "Let me bring one of the towels from ours, and text Z where I'm at."

"Where'd he go?"

"Down to the gift shop, said he saw some top with a joke his sister would want," Louis replies, calling it back over his shoulder as he grabs one of the plush towels.

"He won't be cross you've ditched?"

"Nah, we were mostly just going to sit around. Wouldn't be surprised if he comes knocking on your door, though."

Harry only smiles at that. Louis sends off a quick text - _went to be a shark in H &N's room, join if you want!_ \- grabs his keycard, and follows Harry down the hallway.

Niall is getting dressed. "There's an indoor driving range down the road - conned Liam into checking it out with me," he says. "Don't 'spose you boys want to come along?"

"Got other plans." Louis pats his cheek. "No shark time for you."

"Gah." Niall jams his feet into his trainers. "Disappointing, but my swing's rusty, and we already booked the place."

"I'm sure Leemo will be a great help," Louis says solemnly, and Niall gives him the finger as Harry laughs.

Niall exits with a loudly-shouted goodbye and a wave as Louis is stripping off and Harry's filling the tub. He chucks his pyjamas on one of the beds. He hasn't been swimming since telling the lads about the shark thing, and while he doesn't _need_ to spend time as a shark now - he's already spent his mandatory curse-week for the year - he's feeling anticipatory. 

"Your glasses?" Harry asks as Louis walks into the loo. 

"Right, don't have much need for them under water." He sets them on the countertop. "Eyesight's actually even worse as a shark, but it doesn't much matter. You ran it cold, yeah?"

Harry dips his hand in, then flicks water at Louis. "'course."

Louis smiles at him, fond. It's sweet of Harry to offer up the bath like this, and very Harry. He shivers stepping into the cold water, but it doesn't matter seconds later, when he's swimming. There's a Harry-shadow above him for a while. The tub is big enough that Louis can swim up and down in addition to in circles, somersaulting at all the ends.

There's enough time that he can lose track of time, lazing through the water for a bit. Then there are some vibrations, through the porcelain curves of the tub, through the water. He flicks this way and that, seeking. Then a hand breaches the surface above him, slowly. Harry's hand, also with the same vibrations, as well as Harry's pulse. Ah, he's put on music. 

As a human, Louis would be annoyed that it took him so long to figure out _music_ , but as a shark he doesn't much care. He swims along Harry's fingers, feels the vibration of Harry's laugh. The fingers twitch. Louis nips gently, and feels more laugh-vibration. 

He swims up to the surface and pokes his snout out into the human world, then nudges Harry's wiggling fingers. "This is more fun than golf," Harry says, and Louis swims lightly over his palm in agreement. 

"Could I get in the water with you?" Harry asks. "Um, stick your nose out again if that's not too weird."

Louis wouldn't mind it. He does a bit of a leap, definitely getting his snout up into the air. 

"Brilliant." Harry's hand withdraws, and there's some shadow-movement. "All right, watch it."

Louis swims out of the way of Harry's giant feet as they come into the water, but can't resist biting one of his toes. "As cheeky as a shark as you are regular, why am I not surprised," Harry mutters. Then he carefully folds himself the rest of the way down.

The tub is large enough that there's still plenty of room for Louis to swim even with Harry there, can still go up and down as well as in circles. Harry flicks his fingers around under the surface, so Louis pretends to bite at him, and it makes a good enough game. Harry's laugh-vibrations are even stronger now. It's nice and uncomplicated, which is what Louis likes best about spending time as a shark.

He loses track of time playing hide-and-seek around Harry's various limbs, but eventually he's tired. And hungry. He swims up Harry's chest and nudges him, as if to say, _get out of the tub now, so I can change back_ , but Harry only giggles and says, "Wassat, Lou?", and very gently brushes his fingertips over Louis' fins.

Louis would like to be human again, as nice as Harry's very soft strokes to his fins do feel. He nudges Harry once more, but Harry doesn't move, so Louis shudders back into human form on top of Harry as he shrieks. "Fuck's sake! Warn me!"

Louis pinches him, hard. "I tried, you wanker."

Their bodies slide together for a moment in the water, then Louis pulls back and stands up. Harry's laughing again, because of course he thinks this is funny. "Just for that, I'm using all the towels," Louis says, and steps out out of the tub.

"Aw, don't be cross, you know I love you." Harry sits all the way up and pulls the plug to let the water out before he actually gets to his feet. 

"I can't stand your face, and you're ordering me food," Louis replies, and goes out into the bedroom, towelling off his hair as he walks. 

Harry calls after him, "See if I get into a tub of cold water with you ever again," but he sounds halfhearted about that threat. 

Louis wraps the towel around his waist and finds the room service menu. It's a posh hotel, and most everything says it's locally-sourced and from some sustainable farm, whatever that means. He really just wants pub food. "Come pick something to eat," he calls to Harry.

Harry wanders out with a towel low-slung around his hips, tattoos on full display, a sight Louis has seen at least a thousand times before. "What are you getting?" he asks, tugging the slim hotel information folder from Louis' fingers.

"Burger and chips. Beer." Louis thinks about it a moment. "Something sweet."

The corner of Harry's mouth quirks upward. "Burn a lot of calories as a shark?"

"Yes, actually. The changing back and forth."

Harry calls in their order as Louis puts his pyjamas back on and collapses on the bed. "D'you reckon there's anything worthwhile on the telly?" he mumbles as Harry lies down next to him. 

"No."

That makes Louis laugh. He rolls over and flicks his fingers against Harry's arm, and Harry grabs his hand and winds their fingers together. "Was that all right, swimming?" Harry asks, lifting their joined hands into the air as though he wants to look. Louis doesn't mind.

"Was nice."

"How'd it all come about? The shark thing." Harry squeezes his hand. "If you want to tell me."

"'s fine. I was just a little lad, mucking about at this street fair with me mum." He props his head up on his other hand. "Tried to nick something from one of the stalls - a big shark tooth. Closed my hand tight about it and felt like nothin' I'd ever felt before. Like I was struck by lightning."

Harry's eyes are wide. Louis continues. "The lady at the stall pulled Mum close and told her I'd angered the gods, trying to steal. That I'd have to be a shark, seven days out of the whole year, to make up for it. To _atone_ , she said. Pay the price to Poseidon, or whatev. I was only five, I didn't know. I didn't know. And Mum thought it was all a gas, until three months later when I was having a bath and I turned."

"And then what?"

"And then nothing, really." He shrugs a shoulder. "As curses go, could be worse. Least I fit in the tub."

"You ever go in the ocean?" Harry asks, and then there's a knock on the door and a voice announcing their room service. Harry bounds over still in his towel and Louis rolls his eyes. Then his stomach rumbles. 

The burger has too many weird things on it, frilly lettuce and an entire plank of pickled onion, so he picks a bunch of it off, then slaps Harry's hand when he tries to go for the chips. "Should've got your own."

"Nah." Harry snags one, and Louis lets him. 

Harry ordered cake, with frosting two fingers thick. Louis eats most of it, with Harry sticking his fork in for a bite every now and again, while he gives Louis a considering look. "What, why the face?" Louis asks.

"You didn't answer me before."

"'bout what?"

"If you'd ever gone in the ocean."

Seems an odd thing to worry about getting answer to. "Promised me mum I wouldn't," Louis says. "I used to threaten - when I'd be having a tantrum - that I'd go out into the ocean and swim away. It always upset her, and I was a bloody awful kid when it came to that sort of thing. I wouldn't do it anyway - probably end up getting ate."

He sucks frosting off the fork. Harry's shaking his head. "You're still awful."

"There's crazy shit in the ocean, Styles," Louis says confidently. 

"And you're only a small shark."

Louis points the fork at him. "Only small as a shark."

Harry grins and steals the last bite of the cake. Or at least he tries, but Louis gets his fork in at the right angle, twists, and Harry's fork goes sailing across the room. "Don't fuck with the shark, lad," he says to Harry, who snaps his teeth, but isn't close enough for it to be even close to a threat.

Harry falls backwards on the bed - still in his towel - as Louis savors the last bite, then finishes off his beer. "I'm the one who's tired," he says, frowning down at Harry.

"Did a whole show just like you," Harry grumbles. He squints at Louis. "So all the swimming and transforming makes you hungry _and_ tired? I guess that makes sense."

Louis laughs and stretches out next to him. "I'm already a shark because of a curse, what's to make sense about it?"

Harry's hand flops out and toys with Louis's damp hair for a moment. They never turned on the telly, so the room is mostly quiet, only the faint sounds of evening traffic down on the surrounding streets and the usual hotel noises of other guests in the halls. 

"You're less noisy as a shark, but you're softer like this," Harry murmurs, brushing a hand down Louis' arm, then over his shoulder, and feather light across his face.

Louis can't stop his shiver when Harry's fingers catch on his bottom lip. Then Harry reaches further over, rolling nearly on top of Louis to grab his mobile from the nightstand. "Quit crushing me," Louis grumbles, but Harry only slots against him, tucking his face against Louis' shoulder for a moment before he starts doing something on his phone. 

Harry thumbs at the screen for a bit, then reads, "A group of sharks is called a gam, a herd, a frenzy, a school, or a shiver. Huh. A shiver, that's brilliant."

"There's only one of me, can't be a herd with only one," Louis replies. He muffles a yawn against his palm. "Get the light for us, Harry."

"You're the one who's closer." But Harry reaches across him again, flicking off the lamp in the middle of the room, leaving only the smaller ceiling light on above the little counter that's got the tiny coffee maker, where Harry and Niall have piled some shopping. It's less light than the screen of Harry's mobile as it illuminates his face. 

"We could be your honorary frenzy," he says to Louis, voice soft and very close. 

"Think you just like saying frenzy," Louis answers, but he squeezes Harry as he says it, and messes with Harry's hair for a moment, carefully working his fingers through the tangles. "Zaynie ever show up?"

"While you were swimming? Nah. He did text to say he'd gone to a restaurant next door with a couple crew guys." Harry does something on his phone while Louis tucks his face into Harry's shoulder. "Now he says the pasta was great."

He must put the screen to sleep then, because the light disappears, and his arm comes over Louis' waist. "Can go back to mine," Louis mumbles, the offer mostly lost to a yawn. Which is fine because he's not planning on moving anyway, no matter what Harry says.

"Still can't believe you waited years to tell us about the shark thing," is Harry's reply.

Louis shoves his feet in between Harry's. "It is a bit mad, curses and all."

"I _can_ believe you got cursed trying to steal." Harry pets his hair as he says it, but Louis dugs two knuckles against his bare ribs just the same. Harry wriggles, not actually moving away. "Stop, or I won't share my bath with you again."

"Idle threats," Louis declares sleepily. 

"Yeah." Harry sounds pleased about it. Then Louis feels Harry's mouth press gently against the corner of his own. "Still gonna be your frenzy, though."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to R. for the proofread. <3


End file.
